RRP: £25.00 Details

Save: £6.01 (24%)

& FREE Returns

FREE delivery Saturday, August 20. Details

Or fastest delivery Friday, August 19. Order within 9 hrs 56 mins. Details

Select delivery location

In stock.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app.

[{"displayPrice":"£18.99","priceAmount":18.99,"currencySymbol":"£","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"bMR4IVJ1OY0j8HxkEYRyxNuQyoU3sQkzzp2br6c1vL8CjLZ2LgvQ90osRhXOCB9MmWs5rA2dnmg2DNsGDYRxqPmkUYFdEfM8hI%2F82q3HWwntfqz8d6y3%2Fj5FO1J3iSPW","locale":"en-GB","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"£6.86","priceAmount":6.86,"currencySymbol":"£","integerValue":"6","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"86","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"wMp1OEZbfWeIWUmBNLQFfMrPYgAhznQjRINEh3Bdc0SLiXd9RPeXgEV%2BkTxlbB33yeX7IjzpaqfnaMRwgKnpglk06%2FfYSvgxqHjMUeSoVasvFWPb4dbRQdpqQ0hjLbKIskqB5OUVGJOAr%2FSWhQxpkr%2BCutTnX5ITJheEO7YF07XNHh5KaoomRA%3D%3D","locale":"en-GB","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]

££18.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Dispatches from

Amazon

Sold by

Amazon

Details

Dispatches from

Amazon

Sold by

Amazon

Return policy: Returnable within 30 days of receipt

Add gift options

FREE delivery August 23 - 25. Details

Select delivery location

Used: Very Good | Details

Sold by awesome_books_001

Share <Embed>

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 12 images

Follow the author

Edward Brooke-Hitching

The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps Hardcover – 3 Nov. 2016

by Edward Brooke-Hitching (Author)

1,207 ratings

See all formats and editions

Amazon Price

New from

Used from

Kindle Edition

"Please retry"

£11.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

£18.99

£14.33

£4.07

Apply £1 voucher. Terms Limited-time offer

Note: This item is eligible for FREE Click and Collect without a minimum order subject to availability. Details

Enhance your purchase

A STUNNINGLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK REVEALING THE GREATEST MYTHS, LIES AND BLUNDERS ON MAPS
'Highly recommended' - Andrew Marr
'A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read' - Jonathan Ross

The Phantom Atlas is an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it.

Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes; swindlers, mirages and murderers. Sometimes the stories are almost impossible to believe, and remarkably, some of the errors were still on display in maps published in the 21st century. Throughout much of the 19th century more than 40 different mapmakers included the Mountains of Kong, a huge range of peaks stretching across the entire continent of Africa, in their maps - but it was only in 1889 when Louis Gustave Binger revealed the whole thing to be a fake. For centuries, explorers who headed to Patagonia returned with tales of the giants they had met who lived there, some nine feet tall. Then there was Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish explorer who returned to London to sell shares in a land he had discovered in South America. He had been appointed the Cazique of Poyais, and bestowed with many honours by the local king of this unspoiled paradise. Now he was offering others the chance to join him and make their fortune there, too - once they had paid him a bargain fee for their passage...

The Phantom Atlas is a beautifully produced volume, packed with stunning maps and drawingsof places and people that never existed. The remarkable stories behind them all are brilliantly told by Edward Brooke-Hitching in a book that will appeal to cartophiles everywhere.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Simon & Schuster UK
Publication date

3 Nov. 2016
Dimensions

20.07 x 3.05 x 24.89 cm
ISBN-10

9781471159459
ISBN-13

978-1471159459
See all details

School Books

From pre-school to A-levels, find School Books for all ages Shop now

Frequently bought together

+
+

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your basket.

Choose items to buy together.

by Edward Brooke-Hitching Hardcover
£18.99
In stock.
Sent from and sold by Amazon.
Get it as soon as Saturday, Aug 20
by Edward Brooke-Hitching Hardcover
£18.99
In stock.
Sent from and sold by Amazon.
Get it as soon as Saturday, Aug 20
by Edward Brooke-Hitching Hardcover
£17.29
In stock.
Sent from and sold by Amazon.
Get it as soon as Saturday, Aug 20

Edward Brooke-Hitching
811
Hardcover
27 offers from £5.27
Edward Brooke-Hitching
155
Hardcover
24 offers from £13.36
Edward Brooke-Hitching
667
Hardcover
22 offers from £12.18
Jerry Brotton
852
Hardcover
25 offers from £3.39
Edward Brooke-Hitching
278
Hardcover
27 offers from £8.97
Huw Lewis-Jones
509
Hardcover
21 offers from £10.42

From the Publisher

The Phantom Atlas is a beautifully produced volume, packed with stunning maps and drawings of places and people that never existed. The remarkable stories behind them all are brilliantly told by Edward Brooke-Hitching in a book that will appeal to cartophiles everywhere.

The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

The Phantom Atlas is an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it.

Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes; swindlers, mirages and murderers. Sometimes the stories are almost impossible to believe, and remarkably, some of the errors were still on display in maps published in the 21st century. Throughout much of the 19th century more than 40 different mapmakers included the Mountains of Kong, a huge range of peaks stretching across the entire continent of Africa, in their maps - but it was only in 1889 when Louis Gustave Binger revealed the whole thing to be a fake. For centuries, explorers who headed to Patagonia returned with tales of the giants they had met who lived there, some nine feet tall. Then there was Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish explorer who returned to London to sell shares in a land he had discovered in South America. He had been appointed the Cazique of Poyais, and bestowed with many honours by the local king of this unspoiled paradise. He was offering others the chance to join him and make their fortune there, too - once they had paid him a bargain fee for their passage.

Product description

Review

‘A bonkers book…Highly recommended’ -- Andrew Marr

‘A spectacular, enjoyable and eye-opening read... A wonderful book, with beautiful illustrations throughout’ -- Jonathan Ross

‘Beautifully illustrated…brain-boggling…an excursion into the minds of men imagining an as yet uncharted world’ ― Spectator

‘This intriguing book…shows how places that aren’t there can endure, sometimes for centuries, once a map-maker has inked them in’ ― The Times

‘Beautiful… Brooke-Hitching [has] an eye for a good story and his book is gloriously illustrated with ancient mistaken maps, each accompanied by a thoroughly researched tale of the men whose errors led to them.’ ― Daily Express

‘Extraordinary’ ― Historia Magazine

‘Excellent... Arranged alphabetically in fifty-eight short chapters, with lavish deployment of illustrations, the book provides a captivating chronicle of our battle with ignorance’ ― Literary Review

‘Unreservedly recommended’ ― The Monocle

‘From the magnetic mountain at the north pole to Australia’s inland sea, Edward Brooke-Hitching charts five centuries of misrepresentative maps.’ ― The Guardian

‘A rich selection… [that] shows how lively minds made use of limited knowledge, but also how rumour, guesswork and downright lies can persist in the scholarly imagination.’ ― The Economist

‘One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen in my life…full of fascinating quirky things.’ -- Jen Campbell, author Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

‘The fascination and beauty of maps both emerge clearly in this well-written, witty and thoughtful book…this is a spirited and enjoyable study’ ― Standpoint

‘Exquisitely produced… Gorgeous illustrations of countries and islands that were once thought to exist...For any fans of maps this is a must’ ― The Australian

'Fascinating ... and beautifully illustrated' -- Rosamund Urwin ― Evening Standard

'The Phantom Atlas describes some 50 "myths, lies and blunders" and illustrates them in delightful detail...deserve[s] a place on the coffee table, but only after it's been read: there is as much to absorb as to see.' -- John Ure ― Country Life

From the Back Cover

The Phantom Atlas is an atlas of the world not as it ever existed, but as it was thought to be. These marvellous and mysterious phantoms - non-existent islands, invented mountain ranges, mythical civilisations and other fictitious geography - were all at various times presented as facts on maps and atlases. This book is a collection of striking antique maps that display the most erroneous cartography, with each illustration accompanied by the story behind it.
Exploration, map-making and mythology are all brought together to create a colourful tapestry of monsters, heroes and volcanoes

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1471159450
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK; 1st edition (3 Nov. 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781471159459
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471159459
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.07 x 3.05 x 24.89 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 18,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 6 in Cartography & Geodesy
- 28 in Mythology Encyclopaedias
- 40 in Engineering & Technology References

Customer reviews:
1,207 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Edward Brooke-Hitching

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Edward Brooke-Hitching is a screenwriter and author of The Madman's Library (Sunday Times Literary Book of the Year 2020, BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week), as well as the Simon and Schuster non-fiction bestsellers The Devil's Atlas, The Sky Atlas, The Golden Atlas (both shortlisted for Edward Stanford Writing Awards), The Phantom Atlas, and Fox Tossing, Octopus Wrestling and Other Forgotten Sports. His forthcoming title The Madman's Gallery: The Strangest Paintings, Sculptures and Other Curiosities From the History of Art will be published in October 2022.

Edward spent six years as a fact-finder and scriptwriter for the BBC TV show QI before leaving to write books full time. His work has featured in the Guardian, the London Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Literary Review, the Spectator, the Economist, the Washington Post and others. He has appeared on shows including BBC Radio 4's Museum of Curiosity, Start the Week with Andrew Marr, and the Radio 2 Arts Show with Jonathan Ross.

The son of an antiquarian book dealer and an elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he lives with his labrador Annie Jump Cannon in a dusty heap of old maps and books in Berkshire, where he gardens poorly and practises sword-swallowing even less successfully.

"A mine of information" - Simon Mayo, Books of the Year.

"Writes great books" - Sandi Toksvig.

"Brooke-Hitching's prose is elegant and witty. A worthy inheritor to D'Israeli." Spectator

Twitter: @foxtosser

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		14%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

I. Gillan

Interesting reading but you'd better go to Specsavers before you buy this

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2019

Verified Purchase

The written content of this book is all quite interesting, the major flaw is that it's a book about maps so the illustrations are kind of important. Many of the maps reproduced here are small and blurry low res prints and that meant I didn't enjoy the book as much as I'd hoped to. Worth getting if Amazon are doing a good deal but if I'd paid the RRP or anything close to it I'd probably have returned it.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Fascinating insight into past thinking and blunders

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 July 2018

Verified Purchase

If you've ever got something wrong at work, then think of these poor souls whose errors are still worthy of publication centuries later! If you love maps or history you will love this book. A great mix of the maps themselves, together with information about their context and creators written in a very accessible manner. I would also think it could be a good present for any teenager who feels that these are their favourite subjects, but probably at GCSE level and above unless you are happy to go through some with them. Younger children will still love the pictures though. A great example of a book to both treasure and to read.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sanda

Beautifully illustrated

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2020

Verified Purchase

The cover of this book gives a good clue as to the quality of the interior. The author has researched many imaginary or misplaced lands and written a detailed history of each one - how it was 'found' and how it was later proven imaginary or something else. Some of the examples are clearly sightings of other islands with an incorrect position, but it's a useful insight into the difficulties faced by early explorers and seafarers. The history is very thorough and well written, and many examples of ancient maps in full colour are provided by way of illustration.

The only niggle is the amount of white space in the layout, which makes the text needlessly small and, in places, in different font sizes from one page to the next.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Interesting and thoughtfully presented - the sort of book you can really lose yourself in.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2018

Verified Purchase

An interesting and thoughtfully presented selection of maps that tell us more about the people who made them and there veiw of the world than the places that the purport to show. The text that accompanies each map is packed full of interesting information. The maps thenselves are often very beautiful. It is probably worth having an mangifying glass handy if you want to get the most out of them. There were a few formatting problems - some of the expansion boxes, showing details from the main illustration, were no bigger than the original. Nevertheless, a great read, the sort of book you can really lose yourself in. If you like that sort of thing.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Christopher Hood

Beautifully presented

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 January 2021

Verified Purchase

I love looking at maps. One of my go-to presents that I would get myself when travelling used to be maps. There is so much you see and understand about places by just looking at maps. To date I haven’t really brought maps much into my academic work – other than needing them for discussing certain points in relation to my research on the JL123 crash in my book Dealing with Disaster in Japan and, to a lesser degree, my research about the shinkansen in Shinkansen. I did manage to discuss maps within my book Japan: The Basics and also issues with how Roland Barthes interprets an historical map of Tokyo within his book Empire of Signs, but that, again, was quite specific. I hope to have a broader discussion about maps in relation to Japan in some future work.

Although I have a general interest in maps, I was hoping that this book would also help provide some material that would help with any future study (and teaching) I do about maps in relation to Japan. In that respect, I was a bit disappointed. Although (late on in the book), there is mention about the themes raised in the book also applying to East Asia, the focus of the book largely ignored that part of the world. That’s a shame – but perhaps it opens up an opportunity for a second book that looks more at that part of the world. At least the variety of historical maps that are included did show enough of the world that I was able to see for myself how the view of Japan changed over the centuries.

The book is beautifully presented – almost too well presented as the pages are so thick that many times I thought I may have turned too many pages at once. It’s one of those ‘coffee table books’ that you could leave out and just open a page randomly (most ‘chapters’ cover 2 to 4 pages) and just enjoy re-reading that part again and looking at the maps in more detail at leisure. In that respect I really enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Stevejmo

Almost but not quite...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 October 2018

Verified Purchase

A good book, would have preferred a little less narrative and more, or bigger maps and pictures. Not quite as sumptuous as I'd hoped. 3.5 stars if it was an option. I think there's a better book for what I was looking for, wanted just to revel in the visual maps, not read so much about it. Personal preference of course.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Cody Jannety

A superb collection of ancient maps and stories.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 February 2021

Verified Purchase

This is a most excellent and truly fascinating book for anyone who likes old maps and historical perspectives on the world. From mythical islands and phantom mountain ranges to lost people’s and lands, this book takes you on a magic carpet ride around an alternative world from a different age.
I really cannot rate this book highly enough and I look forward to reading other titles by this talented writer.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ransen Owen

Lovely illustrations, text repetitive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2022

Verified Purchase

This book has lovely illustrations, but the text repetitive, maybe because the stories themselves are. A few whole chunks are identical to his other book about maps of hell. He also uses the confusing and inaccurate phrase : "East is North". What he means is East is placed at the top of the map.

A book to dip into every now and again, because there are some interesting stories there.

Helpful

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	DPReview Digital Photography	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food

Select Your Cookie Preferences

Follow the author